7.28.2014

Painting number 2 is complete, and now it's on to the last one!This is Redondo/Torrance Beach California from a rare viewpoint. It was taken from the water not by me, no way! By photographer Randy Ruby!

When they're thoroughly dry they can be shipped. I may hand deliver them, but will have to think about that. It's a 10 hour drive from here so…and…they won't fit in my car! I do want to be there when they're hung, though. We'll see. In case you can't tell from the photo this painting is enormous! It measures 60 inches across and 30 inches high! It took me about 2-3 weeks to paint and that was putting in long hours each day. Not the 11x14 painting that I'm accustomed to finishing in one day. This has been a great experience so far, and a lot of fun gaining new local fans on Facebook! I feel so blessed to have been chosen for this! Out of all the artists out there I still can't believe it! Anyway, I'm truly grateful to whoever was the one that spotted my work on here! Was it the restaurant designer? Was it the company? I wish I knew. All I can say is thank you! And thank you to Reggie for keeping me on (you could have picked anyone!) and especially to Randy Ruby for allowing me to paint your photographs! They really are something special and I hope I did them justice.

So now, it's on to the last one (after this one sets up a little. It's impossible to move at this point without messing it up).

Thanks so much for following my progress! Hang in there Floral and figure (vintage lady) fans! I promise I'll get back to my normal paintings soon…and will have lots of new Parisian photos to use very soon!

Everywhere you look…a painting lives, just waiting for the artist to let it out.

Monet saw the beauty through his own magnificent eyes.

Oh….the bridge that has inspired so many after him. To this day artists paint their interpretation of the bridge at Givenchy

Someday, I will go and paint it.

Can NOT wait!

Too hard to choose a favorite...

His work has been an influence on mine over the years. When I was going to art school I worked with

a pastel landscape artist and looking at these now I'm reminded very much of his work. He doesn't have his images available online so unfortunately I can't show you how beautiful they were.

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Davis Arboretum
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This painting was inspired by the Arboretum in Davis, California. When I saw the bridge my mind immediately was transported back in time to Monet's bridge. The real place is nice but there aren't any flowers.

I'm going to have some great inspiration coming my way very soon! Keep your eyes out for new Parisian paintings! Finally!

7.14.2014

It's my birthday and I'm celebrating with a giveaway! You could win this signed 11x14 giclee print just by popping over to myFacebook Pageand giving me a "like"! While you're there, if you'd like to comment and like the giveaway post too, that will help me keep track of your entries. Share, share, share (anywhere you can think of)! Thank you! Good luck to everyone!

7.05.2014

Here's the finished piece! Still wet on my easel. This pic was taken with my phone so it's not the greatest. I'll be taking some good ones tomorrow and then send them off for approval!

It's finally happening! You might remember me mentioning some big studio news about six months ago. I had been contacted by a restaurant designer and asked if I had any Redondo Beach artwork. She was in search of new art for an upscale restaurant on the Redondo Beach Pier. If you've been following me from the beginning, you'll know what a big deal this is for me! I grew up there, and the pier is always been the first place I go with my daughter when I visit my home. So many good memories there! I blogged about the pier back in 2009 and have done several paintings of it. They were interested in buying this one I had already done, but the size wasn't right. There also needed to be three that went together.

This was the one she was originally interested in…the one underneath was a smaller version I had painted before I painted a larger one.

The photographer,Randy Ruby, is kind of famous in the South Bay, and I was already familiar with his work. Actually, I was already friends with him onFacebook! It couldn't have been anymore perfect! It's strange how things work out!Fast forward months later to now, it's finally happening! I'm working on the first one now! There will be three altogether and one of them is the largest size I've ever painted (30x60)! I think I'm saving that one for last.I'll be sharing the progress on here and…if you're in town, maybe you would like to see them in person! They won't be there for about 3 months from now, but I'll let you know when they are!

Oh! I guess I should mention what the restaurant is! It's one of the finest restaurants in the South Bay. It's the place my family goes for celebrations. (somehow, I was never present for those celebrations, and have never been!) Anyway, it's a nice steak and seafood restaurant with a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. It's called Kincaid's; you've probably heard of them as they have many other restaurants around the country! Now I'm wondering if this will lead to more! I sure hope so!

Here's what's on my easel now! I took the photo with my phone, so it's not the best quality. The sky is more blue than it looks right here. Since this one was taken, I've done more work on the pylons and boardwalk, and I'm almost done; just getting ready to start the next one! I'll try to post the finished one tomorrow.